20 Aug 2013 13:22:57
Notwithstanding the new contract, there is a possibility that both Arsenal and Chelsea will make bids for Benteke before the transfer window closes.
Arsenal are becoming increasingly desperate to sign players to appease fans and having failed to sign Higuain and Suarez, are now short on options. Villa will be a good place to demand silly amounts of money. Similar applies to Chelsea: if they fail to sign Rooney, Jose will look to find another forward with Drogba-style abilities. Benteke is the obvious target.

In many ways, a new contract is absolutely irrelevant. Nevertheless, the situation gives Villa an advantage, in terms of rejecting the bid or demanding an enormous fee.

Only have low to medium confidence in this. I suspect if a bid emerges, it will be close to deadline day.

1.) 20 Aug 2013
Drogba style abilities? Like Lukaku maybe?

2.) 20 Aug 2013
Chelsea have lukaku so no just no. And benteke would flop at arsenal as they do not play to his strengths

3.) 20 Aug 2013
Anyone else knew this was a load of tosh when the line "Drogba-style abilities" was mentioned?

Kingvilla would be proud of that line

4.) 20 Aug 2013
Some real people out there who react in absolute terms. I even said I had low confidence in this but still people throw their teddies around. If anyone notices reality, you will see that Jose still doesn't have full confidence in Lukaku.

So a bid for Benteke is credible from either Arsenal or Chelsea. Not sure about Man Utd.

5.) 21 Aug 2013
Lukaku? and he's younger than Benteke! that's just rubbish journalism! 2 players want first team football in a league where most clubs play 1 striker per game? rubbish!

6.) 22 Aug 2013
Considering what Mourinho said last night, no business will be done with Chelsea, and there's no clause or anything like that in his contract so this is bull